Jiang Yan
Jiang Yan (444 – 505), courtesy name Wentong (文通), was a poet and fu writer during the Northern and Southern dynasties known for his imitation poetry, a prominent genre of the Six Dynasties era. Yan stated that he loved the strange and different, and therefore sought new social trends and literary habits. This affected his friendships and writing style.
Jiang Yan
- Name
- Jiang Yan
- Born
- 444
- Birthplace
- Kaocheng
- Died
- 505
- Occupation
- Poet
- Nationality
- Liang dynasty
- Languages
- Chinese
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Documentary summary
Jiang Yan (444 – 505), courtesy name Wentong (文通), was a poet and fu writer during the Northern and Southern dynasties known for his imitation poetry, a prominent genre of the Six Dynasties era. Yan stated that he loved the strange and different, and therefore sought new social trends and literary habits. This affected his friendships and writing style.
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Authority files
gnd · 1168256801 · wikidata · Q3236824
In this article
Biography
Biography
There was a legend saying that Jiang once dreamt of returning his magic brush to Guo Pu and lost his writing talent ever since. The idiom "江郎才盡" is therefore used for describing the situation when a creator is experiencing writer's block after using up all his/her talent.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jiang Yan • Born — 444 • Birthplace — Kaocheng • Died — 505 • Occupation — Poet • Period — Liu Song dynasty Southern Qi Liang dynasty Jiang Yan (444 – 505), courtesy name Wentong (文通), was a poet and fu writer during the Northern and Southern dynasties known for his imitation poetry, a prominent genre of the Six Dynasties era. Jiang Yan stated that he loved the strange and different, and therefore sought new social trends and literary habits. This affected his friendships and writing style. There was a legend saying that Jiang once dreamt of returning his magic brush to Guo Pu and lost his writing talent ever since. The idiom "江郎才盡" is therefore used for describing the situation when a creator is experiencing writer's block after using up all his/her talent.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
444
Jiang Yan born at Minquan County.
505
Jiang Yan died.
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- 5 Self-Portrait as Sea Anemone, and Other Impersonations of Jiang Yan, Imitations of the Self: Jiang Yan and Chinese Poetics, 2015
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2015
- 7 Pathways in Obscurity: Jiang Yan and Ruan Ji, Imitations of the Self: Jiang Yan and Chinese Poetics, 2015
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2015
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1168256801, Jiang, Yan.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3236824: Jiang Yan
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.([天监]四年卒，时年六十二。) Nan Qi Shu, vol.14. Note that Book of Qi is considered a primary source on Jiang Yan's life as it was compiled within living memory of Jiang Yan's death.
- 2.(江淹字文通，...) Nan Shi, vol.59
- 3.Specifically, Jiang was born during the Liu Song dynasty, lived through Southern Qi, and died in the early years of the Liang dynasty.
- 4.Williams, Nicholas Morrow. Imitations of the Self: Jiang Yan and Chinese Poetics. Brill. 2014-11-06. 978-90-04-28245-2.
- 5.(又尝宿于冶亭，梦一丈夫自称郭璞，谓淹曰：“吾有笔在卿处多年，可以见还。”淹乃探怀中得五色笔一以授之。尔后为诗绝无美句，时人谓之才尽。) Nan Shi, vol.59. Besides Guo Pu, Jiang Yan's talent was also linked to Eastern Jin scholar Zhang Xie (courtesy name Jingyang). (淹少以文章显，晚节才思微退，云为宣城太守时罢归，始泊禅灵寺渚，夜梦一人自称张景阳，谓曰：“前以一匹锦相寄，今可见还。”淹探怀中得数尺与之，此人大恚曰：“那得割截都尽。”顾见丘迟谓曰：“馀此数尺既无所用，以遗君。”自尔淹文章踬矣。) Nan Shi, vol.59.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
5 Self-Portrait as Sea Anemone, and Other Impersonations of Jiang Yan, Imitations of the Self: Jiang Yan and Chinese Poetics, 2015Crossref registry
Institutional witnessscholarly publication
7 Pathways in Obscurity: Jiang Yan and Ruan Ji, Imitations of the Self: Jiang Yan and Chinese Poetics, 2015Crossref registry
Institutional witnessauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1168256801, Jiang, Yan.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,624 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Jian BozanAuthor
- Jiang GongfuAuthor
- Jiang ShiAuthor
- Jiang ShiquanAuthor
- JiaoranAuthor
- Jibanananda DasAuthor
- Jibra'il DallalAuthor
- Jidi MajiaAuthor
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